ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · swing · kick · cell · bear · bank · wake · snap

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. swing — in golf
  8. snap — to click
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com